Issues: Work and Retirement

The AARP Public Policy Institute focuses on issues of critical importance as we age. Below we highlight research, analysis, background and commentary on Middle Class Security.

Recent Analysis

Disrupting Aging in the Workplace: Profiles in Intergenerational Diversity Leadership

The AARP Public Policy Institute conducted a series of case studies of leading employers to examine programs and practices that address age diversity and the intergenerational workforce. Five companies from a variety of industries and of different sizes were selected for inclusion in the study: Huntington Ingalls Industries, UnitedHealth Group, Centrica, PNC, and AT&T. Interviews were conducted in February and March 2016 with human resources staff, diversity officers, and program managers. Read

Guaranteed Returns in Retirement Savings Plans: Are They Worth the Cost?

This report discusses investment guarantees that promise to deliver at least a certain level of return. It also covers both the costs of such guarantees and their potential value to savers. Read

Preventing Exploitation: Five Banks Leading the Fight

In an effort to protect consumers and fight exploitation, AARP is spotlighting promising practices of financial institutions around the world. Read

Making State Retirement Plans Work for Private Employers: Including Lifetime Income Options

A state-sponsored retirement savings plan could help millions of private-sector workers who are not covered by an employer plan build financial security.Read

What Types of Costs Would a State-Sponsored Retirement Savings Plan Impose on Employers: A Case Study Using the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program

A state-sponsored retirement savings plan could help millions of private-sector workers who are not covered by an employer plan build financial security. Read

Family Financial Caregiving: Rewards, Stresses, and Responsibilities

This Insight on the Issues explores the experiences of a group of unpaid family financial caregivers to examine the challenges they face. Read

Testimony before the Oregon Retirement Savings Task Force

How to structure an effort to improve retirement savings opportunities for private sector employees. Read

The Employment Situation, June 2014

The unemployment rate for older workers falls to 4.4%. Other indicators are improving as well. Read

MIDDLE CLASS SECURITY PROJECT

About the Project: The AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) conducted a year-long, multidisciplinary exploration of the well-being of America’s middle class with a focus on prospects for financially secure retirement. The Middle Class Security Project offers insight, analysis and an agenda for policymakers to consider. The following reports provide findings from this project.

Uphill Climb for Women Seeking Retirement Security

Women live longer than men, have lower earnings, and are more likely to outlive some sources of retirement income. Read

Building Lifetime Middle-Class Security

Major findings and policy recommendations from the Middle-Class Security Project. Read

New Ways to Promote Retirement Saving

Leading experts propose public and private sector reforms designed to help boost saving among low- and middle-income households. Read

Sources of Income for Older Americans, 2012

Social Security remains the mainstay of retirement income for most older Americans. Read

Retirement Prospects of Middle-Class Americans

Many younger Americans will find it harder than their parents to maintain the living standards of their working years when they retire. Read

Income and Poverty Among Older Americans

Many older Americans continue to suffer financial setbacks from the Great Recession. Read